Sheet dispensing cabinet



June 20, 1933. s. N. HOPE ET AL SHEET DISPENSING CABINET Filed June 19, 1951 fig.

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Patented June 20, 1933 marten STATES PATENT QFFEQSE SAMUEL N. HOPE, F WAUWATOSA, AND PAUL DEATH, OF WEST ALLIS, WISCONSIN,

ASSIGNOBS '10 GRIFFITH-HOPE COMPANY, OF WEST A'LLIS, WISCONSIN, A CORPORA- TION OF WISCONSIN Application filed June 19,

The invention relates to dispensing cabinets and more particularly to cabinets for dispensing interfolded sheets, such as paper towels and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a sheet dispensing cabinet which is of simple and inexpensive construction and in whlch the interfolded sheets are supported in such manner as to facilitate their withdrawal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sheet dispensing cabinet in which a dispensing slot is defined between resiliently mounted sheet supporting members capable of yielding under the tugging or jerklng lncident to the withdrawal of the sheets, to thereby minimize, tearing of the sheets.

A further object of the invention isto perfect details of construction generally.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 1s a transversesectional elevation of a dispensing cabinet embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the lower portion of the cabinet taken along a diflerent plane and showing a passing position of a sheet during its withdrawal;

Fig. 3 is a bottom View of an end portion of the cabinet, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional plan v1ew of the cabinet with its cover in open position, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary rear view of the cabinet, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section.

In the drawing, the cabinet is shown as consisting of a rectangular box-like container for holding a stack of interfolded paper towels or the like, there being the usual slot in the bottom of the cabinet through which the lowermost towel projects, so that it may be withdrawn from, the cabinet and upon its withdrawal expose the end of the next paper towel.

The cabinet proper consists of a strip of sheet metal bent to form a cabinet top 11 and cabinet ends 12, each end of the strip having an intermediate notch 12 and being bent to SHEET DISPENSING CABINET 1931. Serial No. 545,410.

form a pair of spaced aligned inturned flanges 13. The strip is somewhat wider than the depth of the cabinet to afford back flanges 14 bent inwardly at right angles to the strip, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. Before bending the strip, it is'pressed to form a head 15 a short distance from its front edge which, besides having an ornamental value, constitutes a shoulder against which fits the edge of a door frame 16. The door frame is formed from a flat rectangular sheet of metal by pressing it to a beaded rectangular form, the edges of the sheet being drawn back at right angles to the plane of the sheet and a rectangular opening being stamped in the sheet. The rearwardly extending edges then constitute a continuous flange, which is telescoped over the edge of the strip forming the cabinet top 11 and ends 12 and is secured thereto as by means of spot welding at points 17. A rectangular piece 18, which was stamped from the door frame sheet to form the opening in the door frame, is utilized as the back of the cabinet by fitting it against the inner faces of the flanges 14 and securing it thereto as by means of spot welding at points 19. The construction of the cabinet thus far described is generally similarito that shown in United States Patent No. 1,548,138, issued August 4, 1925, to Raymond WV. Grilfith and Samuel N. Hope.

' Complementary bottom sections and 21 of resilient sheet metal are secured in place along opposite parallel edges and are spaced apart to form a dispensing slot between them. The front bottom section 20 is provided along its forward edge portion with a horizontal flange 22 which is attached as by means of spot welding 23 to the upper face of the lower flange of the door frame 16, the flange 22 being somewhat shorter than the bottom section 20, as seen in Fig. 4. The rear bottom section 21 includes an upwardly projecting longitudinally extending vertical flange 24 along its rear edge portion, which is secured as by means of spot welding 25 to the rear face of the back plate 18. At its lower edge the flange 24 integrally joins a narrow flat horizontal portion 26 which is spot welded at its ends to the inturned subjacent flanges 13. The bottom sections 20 and 21 include vertically extending walls 27 joining the flanges 22 and 26 and merging at their upper portions with rounded arched portions 28. The arched portions 28 form parallel supporting surfaces for the stack of sheets 10 thereabove and are disposed adjacent the opposite edges of the stack. The arched portions of the bottom sections merge with concave portions 29 which extend downwardly and inwardly to rounded portions defining between them the dispensing slot. The ends of the rounded portions pass through the gaps between the spaced flanges 13. Each bottom section is provided adjacent the dispensing slot with a longitudinally extending bottom flange 3O bent away from the slots. The flanges 30 stiffen the edge portions of the bottom sections and 4 form at their ends stop abutments engageable with the inturned flanges 13 of the cabinet to limit the upward movement of the bottom sections, as seen in Fig. 1. The resiliently mounted bottom sections are attached to the cabinet solely at their parallel longitudinal edge portions remote from the dispensing slot, so that the edge portions of the bottom sections adjacent the slot are free to move vertically, the downward movement of the bottom sections being limited by their engagement with the upper surfaces of the flanges 13. The rear bottom section 21 may be provided with notches 31 in its vertical wall 27 to increase the resilience of the bottom section and to facilitate the spot welding of the flange 24 to the back plate 18. The bottom sections are deeply arched which renders them suit-ably resilient and provides an ample open space above the dispensing slot to aid the withdrawal of the sheets.

A door panel 32, also of sheet metal and preferably embossed to form an ornamental bead 33, is hinged to the lower portion of the door frame 16 by a disappearing hinge including a sheet metal strip 34 extending longitudinally of the lower portion of the door and spot welded thereto. The strip is bent to form an inwardly projecting arcuate portion 35 having flat parallel ears 36 formed at its opposite ends and extending toward the plane of the door. The ears 36 are'pivotally connected by aligned rivets 37 to the upstanding portions of angle brackets 38 secured by rivets 39 to the opposite end portions of the lower flange of the door frame. By this construction, the hinge is entirely concealed and the door capable of being swung outwardly to a substantial horizontal open position, the opening of the door being limited by the ears 36 engaging the door frame. At its upper portion the door is provided, with a suitable lock 40, as usual.

The stack of interfolded paper towels in the cabinet rests near its opposite edges on the widely spaced arched portions 28 of the bottom sections, the intermediate portions of the lower towels sagging into the open space between the arched portions, and the lowermost towel projecting through the dis pensing slot. The lowermost towel is withdrawn by pulling on its protruding end, thereby causing the doubled portion of the towel as well as the interposed end portion of the succeeding towel to pass the arched portion 28 of the bottom section without curling under, the intermediate portions of these two towels bowing downwardly through the dispensing slot as seen in Fig. 2. A further pull on the projecting end of the lowermost towel releases it from the succeeding towel, which latter-then has its end portion projecting through the dispensing slot. The absence of the curling-under motion of the towels reduces the frictional resistance to the pas- V sage of the towels over the arched portion of the bottom sections, and thus facilitates the withdrawal of the towels. The resiliently mounted bottom sections are free to yield downwardly during the withdrawal of a towel through the slot, thus preventing tearing of the towel by quick tugs or jerks thereon, especially when the towel becomes weakened by moisture absorbed from wet fingers. Since the bottom sections are formed of re silient material there is no need for hinges or separatespringmeans, thus simplifying the construction and assembly of the cabinet.

lVhat we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A sheet dispensing cabinet for paper towels and the like comprising a container including a pair of resiliently mounted Wall sections having adjacent spaced edge portions presenting a dispensing slot between them and said edge portions having longitudinally extending flanges projecting laterally away from said slot, and stop means engageable with said flanges to limit the inward movement of said wall sections, said wall sections being yieldable outwardly under the tension of a sheet withdrawn through said slot.

2. A sheet dispensing cabinet for paper towels and the like comprising a casing having inturned rear and bottom flanges, a back plate secured to said. rear flanges, a door frame having a lower portion connecting said bottom flanges, an inwardly arched resilient sheet metal bottom section secured at its forward edge to the lower portion of said door frame, and a second inwardly arched resilient sheet metal bottom section secured at its rear edge portion to said bot tom flanges of the casing and having an upturned flange secured to said back plate, said bottom sections being spaced to form a sheet dispensing slot between them and each having outturned portions engageable with the bottom flanges of said casing.

3. A sheet dispensing cabinet comprising a casing having inturned rear and bottom flanges, a back-plate secured to said rear flanges, a door frame having a lower portion extending between said bottom flanges, a resilient sheet metal bottom section secured at its forward edge to the lower portion of said door frame, and a second resilient sheet metal bottom section bearing at its rear portion on said bottom flanges of the casing and having an upturned flange secured to said back plate, said bottom sections having spaced downwardly yieldable free edge portions forming a sheet dispensing slot between them.

In testimony whereof, we afiix our signatures.

SAMUEL N. HOPE. PAUL DRATH. 

